California wine

History

Spanish missionaries brought wine grapes to California in the late 18th century, and Father Junípero Serra is credited with planting its first vineyard at Mission San Juan Capistrano. Their Mission grape remained dominant until the 20th century. Prohibition (1920–1933) almost destroyed the industry, leaving only 140 wineries when it ended. The turning point came at the Judgment of Paris on 24 May 1976, when French judges tasting blind ranked the 1973 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon and the 1973 Château Montelena Chardonnay above leading French wines. Napa Valley became California's first AVA on 28 January 1981. Recently, falling demand led to nearly 40,000 acres of vines being removed in 2024–2025.

Terroir and appellations

California has more than 140 American Viticultural Areas (AVAs). The North Coast includes Napa Valley, with 47,216 acres of vines and 17 nested AVAs such as Oakville, Rutherford, Stags Leap District and Howell Mountain, and Sonoma County, with the Sonoma Coast, Russian River Valley and Alexander Valley. The Central Coast runs from the Santa Cruz Mountains through Monterey and Paso Robles to Santa Barbara County and the Sta. Rita Hills. The hot inland Central Valley, including Lodi, grows nearly 75% of California's wine grapes.

Grapes and wine styles

California's seven leading wine grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah and Zinfandel. Napa Valley is best known for Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux-style blends such as Opus One and Screaming Eagle, while Monte Bello shows the Cabernet of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Sonoma's coastal AVAs and the Sta. Rita Hills specialise in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Zinfandel, the same grape as Italy's Primitivo, thrives in Lodi, Paso Robles and old vineyards across the state.

California wine: questions and answers